Weeks after the news of a pregnant woman in Tamil Nadu being negligently transfused with HIV positive blood sent shockwaves across the state, the woman gave birth to a girl child on Thursday. According to a report in the Times of India, the woman went into labour and gave birth to the baby at around 7 pm at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
Conveying the news to the media, Dr S Shanmughasundaram, Dean of the institution said that the baby weighed 1.75 kg and was doing well. While no birth defects were immediately observed, a HIV screening would be conducted in 45 days' time to ascertain whether the child has contracted the infection.
He added that the mother was also doing well.
Speaking to TNM earlier, doctors had said that there were two instances where the baby could contract the virus; as a foetus in the womb or during delivery. Since the child passes through the birth canal and is exposed to the mother’s blood and secretions, all of which contain the virus, there is a very high chance the child could be infected. To avoid this, doctors had recommended that a C-section delivery be done to reduce contact with the same fluids.
“After delivery, the child has to be given preventive care as well. For 6 weeks, that is 42 days, a combination of medications must be given,” Dr Amrose Pradeep, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCare Hospital) in Chennai had said.